Musical wind instrument



Aug. 19, 1924. f 1,505,597

L. R. MANN MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENT Filed March 25, 1922 Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS R. MANN, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DONALD I.

, BOHN, F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK.

MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENT.

Application filed March 25, 1922. Seria No. 546,768.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Louis R. MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical find Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly to a wind instrument wherein the tone produced by the same is dependent upon the length of the column of air set infvibration within the same.

It is a purpose of the invention to provide an instrument of the above mentioned character with means for varying the effective length thereof comprising a member secured adjacent one end thereof to said instrument and movable toward and away from the body of said instrument to vary the effective length of the instrument.

In one form of the invention shown the instrument is provided with a tapering tubular body portion and said body portion is provided with an elongated opening therein closed to the extent desired by means of a resilient member having a normal curvature away from the body of the instrument, but it will be evident that other forms of closure members could be used and that spaced holes could be provided instead of the elongated opening. It will also be evident that the shape of the tubular member could be varied if desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description of the accom anying drawings, proceeds. However, desire to have it distinctly understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact details shown or described, but that I intend to include as part of my invention all such obvious changes and modifications of parts as would occur to a person skilled in this art and as would fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved musical wind instrument;

Fig. 2 is a face view thereof;

Fig. 3 isa section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary face view of a slight modification; and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of a further modification.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the improved wind instrument comprises a tubular body portion 6 which is preferablyT tapered as shown in Figs. 1 and 9. and which is provided with a mouth piece 7 secured thereto in any desired manner. The tubular body portion G is provided with a slot S therein and with a pair of openings 9 and 10 adjacent the mouth piece for varying the pitch of the instrument, said openings being' adapted to be closed by the fingers or by means of keys as desired. The body portion l6 is also provided with a ledge 11 at each side of the slot 8 to provide a plane surface or face on said instrument adjacent the slot. The ledge 11 has portions 12 and 13 which extend around the ends of the slot 8. A flexible closure member 14 preferably of resilient material is provided for closing the slot S, said flexible member being secured to the tubular body portion 6 adjacent the mouth piece by means of the clamping member 15 which is provided with a bolt 16 having a nut 17 cooperating therewith for clamping the fiexible member on the tubular member 6, said tubular member being provided with a block or plate 18 upon which the end portion of the member 14 adjacent the mouth piece rests. The member 14, as will be clear from Fig. 1, curves outwardly away from the body portion 6 in a gradual curve and is provided on the free end thereof with a finger piece or rest 19 which is adapted to be engaged by the finger of the operator to move the flexible member 14 inwardly into engagement with the ledge 11. It will be seen that the portion of the slot that is closed by said member 14 will be dependent upon the distance that the member 19 is moved inwardly and that a gradual opening or closing of the slot 8 can be accomplished by means of the flexible member 14 so as to continuously vary the pitch of the tone without a break therein as distinguished from the step by step changing pitch accomplished with an ordinary instrument having keys thereon. A felt padding is provided between the member 14 and the ledges 11. In the drawings the member 14 is provided with such a lining or other padding 2O so as to provide an air tight closure between the same and the ledges 11.

In Fig. 5 is shown a slightly modified form of musical instrument which comprises the flaring tubular body portion 6 provided With the openings 21 therein, said openings being provided in a member which has a plane upper surface 22 with which the closure member 14 constructed in a manner similarI to the member 14 is adapted to cooperate to close the openings 21 as desired. The member 14 is provided with a plurality of pads 23 instead of the lining or padding 20 for providing` a tight closure at the openings 21.

In Fig. 6 is shown a further modification in which the tubular member 6 is provided with a slot 8 having bevelled Walls 31 forming flat faces provided with a felt lining 32, said slot being adapted to be closed by a member 33 mounted in a similar manner to the member 14. The member 33 has bevelled sides 34 engaging With the Walls 31 and has a curved inner face 35, thus providing an instrument having an unbroken inner curved surface.

It Will be noted that the mouth piece 7 is provided with a reed in the type of instrument shown, the type of instrument shown being a saxophone.

Having thus described my invention, What I desire to claim and secureby U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A musical instrument of the character described comprising a body portion open along one side thereof, a mouth piece thereon, and means for varying the effective length of said instrument comprising a flexible closure member secured to said body portion at one end thereof and free at the other end thereof.

2. A musical instrument of the character described comprising a body portion open along one side thereof, a mouth piece thereon, and means for varying the effective length of said instrument.comprising a resilient closure member secured to said body portion at one end thereof and free at the other end thereof.

3. In a reed instrument of the character described, a body portion having an opening therein, a mouth piece thereon, and means for closing said opening as desired comprising a flexible member secured to said body portion at one end thereof and free at the other end thereof.

4. A musical instrument of the character described comprising a body portion open along one side thereof, a mouth piece thereon, and means for varying the effective length of said instrument comprising a resilient closure member secured to said body portion at one end thereof and free at the other end thereof, said member being normally spaced from said body portion.

5. In a musical instrument of the character described, a body portion having a slotl therein, a mouth piece thereon, and means for closing said slot to any desired degree comprising a resilient member secured at one end to said body portion and free at the other end thereof.

6. In a musical instrument of the character described, a body portion having a slot therein, a mouth piece thereon, and means for closing said slot to any desired degree comprising a resilient member secured at one end to said body portion, and free at the other end thereof, said member having a normal curvature away from said body portion toward the free end thereof.

7. In a musical instrument of the character described, a body portion having a slot therein, a mouth piece thereon, and means for closing said slot to any desired degree comprising a resilient member secured at one end to said body portion and free at the other end thereof, said member having a normal curvature away from said body portion toward the free end thereof and being provided with a finger piece.

8. In a musical instrument of the character described, a body portion having a slot therein, sa-idl body portion having a plane face adjacent said slot, a mouth piece thereon, and means for closing said slot to any desired degree comprising a resilient member secured at one end to said body portion and free at the other end thereof.

9. A musical instrument of the character described comprising a mouth piece, a continuously flaring tubular body portion provided With a longitudinally extending elongated opening in one side thereof, and a resilient closure member secured to said body portion at one end thereof and free at the other end thereof for varying the effective length of said instrument.

10. A reed instrument of the character described comprising a month piece carrying a reed, a flaring tubular body portion provided with a longitudinally extending elongated opening therein, and a resilient closure member secured to said body portion at one end thereof and free at the other end thereof for varying the effective `length ofl said instrument.

11. A reed instrument of the character described comprising a mouth piece carrying a reed, a flaring tubular body portion provided with a longitudinally extending elongated opening therein, and a resilient closure member secured to said body portion at one end thereof and free at the' other end thereof for varying the effective length of said instrument, said body portion being provided with a smooth face with which said closure member is adapted to engage.

12. A reed instrument of the character described comprising a mouth piece carrying a reed, a tapering tubular body portion open along one side thereof and means for varying the pitch of said instrument comprising a resilient closure member secured at one end to said body portion and free vat the other end thereof for opening any desired portion of said tubular member from one end thereof to the outer air.

13. A reed instrument of the character described comprising a mouth piece carrying a reed, a tubular body portion open along one side thereof and means for varying the pitch of said instrument continuously Without a break between succeeding tones comprising a resilient closure member secured at one end to said body portion and free at the other end thereof for opening any desired portion of said tubular member from one end thereof to the outer air.

14. A musical instrument comprising a tapering tube having a mouth piece, with a reed adapted to vibrate, said tube having an elongated slot therein, means for varying the tones produced thereby comprising a closure member for said slot and closure member receiving portions at opposite sides of said slot, said closure member being secured to said tube at one end thereof and free at the other end thereof.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 2 day o-f March A. D., 1922.

LOUIS R. MANN. 

